Langdale, Oxendale, Crinkle Gill, Crinkle Crags, Bow Fell, Climbers Traverse, Buscoe Syke, Cumbria.
[ 14.6 km] Mon  25 May 2009

Start/finish OS grid ref: NY 2851 0529
Today is a Bank Holiday but the weather forecast said it would be the best day’s weather of the week so I took a chance and went for it. I returned to the Langdales and left my car above Wall End. Traffic was surprisingly light though the camp sites were full. It was warm sunshine as I set off down the road and along the access track to Stool End Farm. I was heading up Oxendale and up ahead above the footbridge I could see a tent. There were no other walker around yet but I continued up to the tent and a young couple were starting to pack up.

Small tarn in Great Cove

They had been here since Saturday and were now on their way home. At least they’d had two good days of weather. I continued up the path a short way then turned left directly up the main ridge of Whorney Side. The map shows a path but I couldn’t find one but it was pleasant grass underfoot so the going was easy. I was heading for Great Cove along the northern edge of Crinkle Gill and with no path of any kind I had to pick my route carefully. The grassy areas were easy but higher up it got steeper, rocky and scrambly. I saw a couple of walkers higher up and they were heading down the way Iwas coming up. I found a faint sheep track and shortly after reaching it the walkers passed on their way down.

Up ahead I reached the main cove which was a series of flat shelves. There was a mobile signal and plenty of good places to pith a tent but no running water was evident. I left the cove by climbing directly up a scrambly gill which brought me out directly below ‘The Bad Step’. With a small pack the bad step is quite easy and I continued enjoying the good weather as I headed along the crinkles towards Bow Fell. There were quite a few walkers around which is not surprising considering it’s a bank holiday and fine weather. At Three Tarns I continued north up the rough path up Bow Fell which is strewn with large bags of rocks ready for the path-builders. I didn’t go all the way to the summit but turned off when I reached the top of the Great Slab. I started the easy descent by the scree along the side of the slab.

The Great Slab on Bow Fell

This is the way I climbed last Fri but the weather was cloudy then and I didn’t get any views. It was a very impressive descent down to the spring at the base of Cambridge Crag and on the way Iwas able to watch the climbers on Bowfell Buttress. I enjoyed a few slurps from the spring then walked along the Climber’s Travers back towards ‘The Band’. I didn’t go all the way to the main path but took a short cut, which was quite steep, to the descent path down Buscoe Syke. The weather was still sunny but slightly more hazy than when I started. I had to share the Oxendale path and Stool End track with quite a few other walkers. Back at the car I was concerned about the holiday traffic on the way back but as it turned out there was little more than usual.